profesionalism
The way my students perceive me may very well be a reflection of their behavior in my class. I am planning on learning everything i can to set an example for my students to follow in hopes of maintain a stronger professional environment. I must maintain a professional distance and not enable my students slack off from their learning.
Jeanette,
I support your position on this. I have to remind my students of this constantly. Their response is that they are students so they can dress and act as they so chose. This is when I remind them that they are in a professional program and they will be subject to the Golden Rule when they graduate. The Golden Rule is the person with the gold rules. So they are going to have to dress and conduct themselves according to the rules and policies of the place they work or the person with the gold will say "go home".
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have discussed with my students on day one that the only way you will be treated as a professional is to conduct yourself as a professional.
Alyson,
Be prepared and organized when you start your class. Share your expectations and policies with your students and then be consistent in enforcing them. This will set the tone for you as the learning leader. While doing this you can use your personality and easy going approach to help the students to get settled into the course. While this is occurring the boundaries will become clear and you will be able to enjoy teaching and being friendly with your students while they understand where the boundaries are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. Also a challenge for me is the fine line between being "nice" and "compassionate" to being too friendly? Where do you draw the line? This is a tough one for me, being an outgoing and friendly person-as a new instructor, I'm not completely sure what is OK and what is not??
How do you maintain student respect and a good learning environment, while still being a disciplinarian and a friendly person?
Denise,
When they have graduated and are working in my field they then become colleagues of mine. I welcome them into my network and will provide support to them in the form of recommendations and professional sharing should they so desire. I am very comfortable with this relationship because I am no longer an authority figure in terms of evaluating them, though in reality I know I have and will always have a somewhat different relationship with them since I was at one time their instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Thank you. I have had students who have wanted the pal relationship before and I have had to make the differential clear to them that I was there friend in supporting their educational goals but that is where they take control of their lives and educations. I have also seen facilitators in my past experiences cross that boundary and the impact has never been positive for anyone involved. How does that boundary cross after graduation? After they have started their career.
Denise,
You have done a great job of describing how our relationship with students should be structured. When we approach our students with support like this we are impacting their lives without crossing the boundary between student and instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Brandon,
Good strategy and good model to follow with your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that maintaining professionalism is very important in adult education and you can be a friend to your student but not their pal. Friends are supportive and offering support to one another by definition but do not hang out after courses in a personal relationship within our setting. Students may not have any support once they leave campus and often need the support of their instructor for motivation to complete their career education. Pals are peers with whom they spend time with outside of the classroom and this we cannot be. This ruins the respect and professional distance we have from our students.
I think being a role model for the students and maintain professional is important...Not trying to be their friend
